More Futurama DVD Movies
This one is kind of cheating, because we are already expecting three more straight-to-DVD movies for Futurama in 2008. But I still thought it was worth mentioning, because Bender's Big Score was everything I was hoping for. Watching "Bender's Big Score" was like catching up with an old friend; it was as if we had never parted. The creative team didn't try to change the successful formula, though they played with more adult humor since the show wouldn't be aired on TV.
The plot was as zany, yet complicated (time travel always is) as usual, with a lot of heart thrown in. I can't wait for the next installments.
More "To Be Continued" on South Park
The "Imaginationland" trilogy of episodes on South Park earned Comedy Central remarkable ratings, recording the most-watched (total viewers) and highest-rated (Men 18-24) season since 1998, as well as the highest-rated season since 2000 among people aged 18-49, the demographic that makes advertisers swoon. I'm not surprised. The "Imaginationland" trilogy featured a plot about a hot topic, terrorism, and a subplot as vulgar as anything on South Park, a bet between Cartman and Kyle that involved Cartman's dry testicles.
Not only did I tune in eagerly every Wednesday night for three weeks to see what would happen next, I loved spotting iconic characters in the background of Imaginationland, including the Kool-Aid pitcher and Toad from Nintendo's Mario video games. The council of nine, another South Park parody of The Lord of the Rings, was another brilliant stroke, including a wide range of characters from Aslan to Popeye.
I'm not saying the whole season should become an animated 24, but a few storylines that continue from episode to episode would be nice, considering that Matt Parker and Trey Stone could use the time to tell a really good, in-depth story.
Occasional Progress in Timelines
In early seasons of The Simpsons, Lisa and Bart had a couple of birthdays. Since then they haven't aged. On South Park, the boys finally moved up to fourth grade. And recently on King of the Hill, Hank's dad Cotton passed away. That episode in particular was a masterful example of when a cartoon can move its timeline forward using a major event. Cartoons don't necessarily have to move forward in time the way dramas might, but if a milestone or major event, like in King of the Hill, is portrayed sparingly and thoughtfully, the episode can have a big impact.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Death Picks Cotton," not only because it brought a little reality to the cartoon by moving the timeline forward, but also because it wasn't pretty, sappy or simple. Well done, Mike Judge.
This year we enjoyed two wonderful long spoofs of Star Wars on Robot Chicken and Family Guy. Both were marvelous. You could tell by watching each show that the creative teams were fanboys and that Star Wars was beloved by them. Both Robot Chicken and Family Guy are known for pop culture spoofs, but by using entire episodes to spoof one classic film, Star Wars: A New Hope, we were able to enjoy more detailed jokes and scenes, which yielded more giddiness on my part.
What's next? The Godfather? Bring it on!
Okay, if you've read any of my reviews of Adult Swim cartoons in the past year, you probably know I'm not a big fan of excessive gore. Don't get me wrong; I like some occasional blood and guts. I think South Park usually has the right amount of gore, though "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina" and "Hell on Earth 2006" was a bit too much for me. So why do all the Adult Swim shows have to be so graphically violent and gross?
How about more clever and witty shows that depend less on the gross-out factor, like the now departed Harvey Birdman or Home Movies? Some of the newcomers went down easily, like Lucy, Daughter of the Devil. But other shows, like Frisky Dingo, Metalocalypse and the one-off Drinky Crow Show have just way too much blood and guts for my taste. I know you young guys like that stuff, but you're not the only ones up at night watching.
This one is kind of cheating, because we are already expecting three more straight-to-DVD movies for Futurama in 2008. But I still thought it was worth mentioning, because Bender's Big Score was everything I was hoping for. Watching "Bender's Big Score" was like catching up with an old friend; it was as if we had never parted. The creative team didn't try to change the successful formula, though they played with more adult humor since the show wouldn't be aired on TV.
The plot was as zany, yet complicated (time travel always is) as usual, with a lot of heart thrown in. I can't wait for the next installments.
More "To Be Continued" on South Park
The "Imaginationland" trilogy of episodes on South Park earned Comedy Central remarkable ratings, recording the most-watched (total viewers) and highest-rated (Men 18-24) season since 1998, as well as the highest-rated season since 2000 among people aged 18-49, the demographic that makes advertisers swoon. I'm not surprised. The "Imaginationland" trilogy featured a plot about a hot topic, terrorism, and a subplot as vulgar as anything on South Park, a bet between Cartman and Kyle that involved Cartman's dry testicles.
Not only did I tune in eagerly every Wednesday night for three weeks to see what would happen next, I loved spotting iconic characters in the background of Imaginationland, including the Kool-Aid pitcher and Toad from Nintendo's Mario video games. The council of nine, another South Park parody of The Lord of the Rings, was another brilliant stroke, including a wide range of characters from Aslan to Popeye.
I'm not saying the whole season should become an animated 24, but a few storylines that continue from episode to episode would be nice, considering that Matt Parker and Trey Stone could use the time to tell a really good, in-depth story.
Occasional Progress in Timelines
In early seasons of The Simpsons, Lisa and Bart had a couple of birthdays. Since then they haven't aged. On South Park, the boys finally moved up to fourth grade. And recently on King of the Hill, Hank's dad Cotton passed away. That episode in particular was a masterful example of when a cartoon can move its timeline forward using a major event. Cartoons don't necessarily have to move forward in time the way dramas might, but if a milestone or major event, like in King of the Hill, is portrayed sparingly and thoughtfully, the episode can have a big impact.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Death Picks Cotton," not only because it brought a little reality to the cartoon by moving the timeline forward, but also because it wasn't pretty, sappy or simple. Well done, Mike Judge.
This year we enjoyed two wonderful long spoofs of Star Wars on Robot Chicken and Family Guy. Both were marvelous. You could tell by watching each show that the creative teams were fanboys and that Star Wars was beloved by them. Both Robot Chicken and Family Guy are known for pop culture spoofs, but by using entire episodes to spoof one classic film, Star Wars: A New Hope, we were able to enjoy more detailed jokes and scenes, which yielded more giddiness on my part.
What's next? The Godfather? Bring it on!
Okay, if you've read any of my reviews of Adult Swim cartoons in the past year, you probably know I'm not a big fan of excessive gore. Don't get me wrong; I like some occasional blood and guts. I think South Park usually has the right amount of gore, though "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina" and "Hell on Earth 2006" was a bit too much for me. So why do all the Adult Swim shows have to be so graphically violent and gross?
How about more clever and witty shows that depend less on the gross-out factor, like the now departed Harvey Birdman or Home Movies? Some of the newcomers went down easily, like Lucy, Daughter of the Devil. But other shows, like Frisky Dingo, Metalocalypse and the one-off Drinky Crow Show have just way too much blood and guts for my taste. I know you young guys like that stuff, but you're not the only ones up at night watching.
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